


Culpable

by cassowarykisses



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Spoilers Through #21
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 21:37:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1998756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassowarykisses/pseuds/cassowarykisses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a slow thing, waiting to die. But not slow enough, Cyclonus knows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Culpable

"I’m sick of feeling useless."

Tailgate struggled to sit up, and Cyclonus placed a firm hand on his chest, pinning him down. “But you’re not!” he cried, words coming out a little more staticky than he would have liked. Okay, so he was weak enough that one of Swerve’s friendly slaps on the back would take him out. But that didn’t mean he had to sound like it. “I mean it,” Tailgate continued. “You fought off the Legislators! We would probably be pretty dead if you and Whirl and the other guys hadn’t held them back.”

Cyclonus looked away. “I’ve seen cybercrosis before.”

"So?" Tailgate asked. Staying still made it marginally less painful. Or at least, the pain faded to be background noise. "I’ve seen pictures of cybercrosis." He considered for a moment. "It was part of a disease lecture they gave us, right before I started working."

"Healthy energon shouldn’t be green," Cyclonus said, shaking his head. "That … I should have reported that."

"You had just been kind of blown up." Tailgate pointed out. "And that’s Ratchet’s job. I was in his medibay."

Cyclonus leaned back in his chair, letting his hands fall against his lap. “I thought it would be more comforting for it to be me at fault, instead of the mech responsible for all our health.”

Tailgate shrugged, and immediately regretted it. Who knew moving your shoulders went straight to your spark? “I wasn’t in there for a checkup.”

Cyclonus sighed. “I know.”

There was a long pause. But, Tailgate reminded himself, everything seemed longer now, with the ache that permeated his whole body.

"I wish this was a Legislator problem or something," he said. "Something that you could beat up." He stopped for a moment. "Or Whirl, or Magnus, or well, anyone strong enough to fight for me."

"I know." Cyclonus said again. He smiled bitterly at Tailgate. "Maybe one of their new weapons would actually be useful for that."


End file.
